


Arrangements

by avalonjoan



Category: Check Please! (Webcomic)
Genre: Allergies, Alternate Universe - Flower Shop, I finally did it, M/M, Sneezing, and bitty is adorable, jack's a big goof
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-18
Updated: 2016-07-18
Packaged: 2018-07-24 20:25:00
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,163
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7521925
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/avalonjoan/pseuds/avalonjoan
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>From the tumblr prompt by mrzimmboni: </p><p>Listen,,,,, zimbits flowershop AU where Jack goes buy flowers once every week even though he’s allergic pollen because he’s lowkey in love with the shop’s manager,,,,,, he’s always sneezing and when Bitty asks he always makes up a bs excuse like “oh yeah I have a cold haha”</p>
            </blockquote>





	Arrangements

It started in May.  Alicia and Bob were going to be in town, and since he hadn't been able to actually celebrate Mothers Day actually with his mother since he was a teenager, Jack was trying to figure out what to do. As with most things, he went to Shitty for advice.

“Dinner, flowers, maybe jewelry,” he said, mostly unhelpful.  “Don’t get me wrong, moms are great, but I think it would be better if we could, y’know, make it so they didn’t have to choose between being a mom and having a career.”

There was a flower shop on the same block as their apartment, so Jack stepped in on his way home from practice the day his parents were set to arrive.  The whole ‘not really dating’ thing meant that he’d never had to buy flowers before, and as a result, had no idea what he was doing.

“Can I help you with anything, darlin?” There was a small blond standing beside him, his name ‘Eric’ written under the title on his badge: manager.  He had a green apron on with a pair of scissors tucked into the pocket, and he was cute.

Jack blushed.  “Um, yeah, actually—my mom’s going to be in town for Mothers Day, but I don’t really know what people do—“

Eric holds up one hand.  “Say no more—I’ve trained my whole life for this moment.  Walk with me.  Don’t think too hard.  I’ll have you pick something out that makes you think of her, and I can make an arrangement based on that, alright?”

He let Eric lead him around until he saw a cluster of small pink flowers with specks of yellow. Rubbing at his nose, which had started to itch soon after he entered the store, he watched as Eric took those and gathered a few other types from around the store and arranged them carefully.  Eric was securing the bouquet in brown paper when Jack turned away, stifling a sneeze against his elbow, then a second. 

“Bless you.” Eric had a sympathetic expression, like Jack were some wounded animal.   

“Thanks.  Must be coming down with something."  Jack handed his credit card to Eric, who swiped it through the reader and passed it back to him.

"Feel better, honey,” Eric said, handing the arrangement to Jack, who hoped that the other hadn’t caught the flush spreading across his cheeks.

 

* * *

 

 

“You’re back!” Eric had found Jack amid the cacti.  Jack had been hoping that staying away from the real flowers would help, but there seemed to be enough pollen in the air that it didn’t make a difference. “Feeling better?”

Jack sniffled.  “Not quite,” he said, his voice already sounding congested. “Working on it.”

“I doubt you’re getting enough rest, flying all over the country."  Jack raised an eyebrow at Eric, who smiled sheepishly.  "Don’t think I didn’t recognize your name–my roommates are huge Falconers fans.  But anyways–what can I get for you?”

Jack had spent the morning figuring out possible excuses, and this one worked perfectly.  “Actually, now that you know what I do–it’s my agent Georgia's birthday this week.”

Eric’s face lit up.  “Georgia!  That’s where I’m from.  We can work off the state flower–the Cherokee Rose.  Unless, of course, you were thinking a cactus would be more appropriate?”

“No, no,” Jack shook his head.  “I just knew that you’d be able to find me over here.”

“You are an awfully tall specimen–I think I could find you just about anywhere in here.”

Jack blushed and looked away, almost grateful when he broke the silence with yet more sneezing.

 

* * *

 

Jack had come prepared this time, taking a tissue out of a small travel pack  as soon as he felt his nose start to tickle.  He sneezed once, hoping it would be drowned out by the hum of the refrigerated display units.

“Just can’t seem to shake that cold, can you, Jack?”

Jack turned around to see Eric beside him.  He shrugged, blowing his nose and giving an apologetic smile.

Eric leaned against the glass door. “Now, I’m not a doctor, but you might want to get that looked at.  You’ve been a sneezing wreck for half a month.”

“It’s nothing.”

“It’s a wonder you can still play–you can barely breathe."  Eric put one hand on Jack’s shoulder.  "Let’s find what you’re looking for so you can get home and get some rest, alright?”

Nodding, Jack blushed when Eric touched him.  “My, uh–my roommate’s girlfriend is coming for the weekend, and he’s caught up studying for the bar, so he asked if I would–” His breath caught and he stepped back, sneezing again.

“Your roommate’s a lucky man,” Eric said while Jack composed himself. “Now tell me about his girlfriend,” he said, leading Jack toward the flower selections.

 

* * *

 

Jack had just rounded the corner when the door to the shop flew open.  Eric rushed up to him, taking Jack’s hand into his own.   "Here,” he said, pressing a blister pack of pills into Jack’s palm.

“What’s this?” Jack flipped it over, reading the name on the back–cetirizine.

“I saw your post-game interview last Saturday."  Eric had his hands on his hips, an indignant look on his face.  "It would seem that you made a remarkable recovery since I saw you the day before.”

“Haha,” Jack stammered, running one hand through his hair.  “Well…”

“You come in here every week, and I’m all worried that you've got a sinus infection or something, and it turns out you’re just wildly allergic to my place of work.” Eric leaned against the store window.  “So what’s your deal?”

“I like coming here?” Jack offered, heart sinking now that his plan had been discovered.  “I like hearing you talk about the different flowers, and the arranging–it’s like art–you get so excited about each project.  It’s nice–I just–I like seeing you.”

Eric’s eyes went wide.  “Oh,” he said.  Then he smiled. “So you’ve been coming here and suffering every Friday for a month–just to see me?”

Jack nodded, turning over the pill packet between his fingers. “And I thought it would be really obvious if I just kept coming by even though I’m allergic to everything with petals, so I said it was something else.  I can stop if it makes you uncomfortable.”

“Oh, honey, no."  Eric put his hand on Jack’s shoulder.  "Not at all.  Look–we close at seven.  Why don’t you come by then and we can get dinner?”

“Oh.”  Jack was stunned for a second, and then he nodded, smiling. “Let’s do that.”

Eric got up on his tiptoes and kissed Jack on the cheek.  “Normally I’d bring flowers on a first date, but I think I’ll forego those tonight,” he said, turning to head inside.  Jack went back to the apartment, figuring out how he was going to explain to Shitty why he wasn’t getting a third week of best-friend-flowers.

 


End file.
